The Meaning of Life
by artemis lecter
Summary: What if Jacob HAD imprinted on Bella in New Moon? And how would it have changed the way Bella felt?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters, I just play with them. No money is being made from this story.

* * *

I heard the familiar rumble of Bella's truck, and I gritted my teeth. I knew she would show up here some time, after the dozen or so phone calls I had ignored. I knew she missed me, and I missed her. Like crazy. It felt like I had lost a family member.

_It's for her safety_, I reminded myself. Didn't mean I didn't hate it.

Billy wheeled into the room. "You gonna talk to her?" I knew he didn't approve. He knew how dangerous it was. But I owed it to Bella. I nodded.

"Better hurry up then. It's pouring outside."

I nodded, striding out the door. And I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Bella.

It was like she was the meaning of life. Nothing mattered, but her. Every part of my being was tied to this girl.

I stared at her dumbly for a moment, then strode over to her. I opened her door, and I lifted her out of the front seat of the truck, ignoring her gasp as I pulled her into the rain. And there, I gave her the biggest hug I could have given her.

"Can't…breathe… Jake!"

Chuckling, I set her down on her feet, grinning from ear to ear. I saw the look on her face, and instantly my expression was apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Bells. If I could have been around you, I would have. Can I please make it up to you?"

Bella looked at me, and for a moment, I wasn't sure whether she would forgive me or now. Then she smiled a bit, and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her back, enjoying the feeling of her in my arms.

I broke the contact, looking down at her. "Come on," I said softly. "I've got a ton to tell you." Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. I motioned my head toward the front door of the house. Taking her hand, I pulled her inside.

* * *

Two hours later, Bella was still stunned. I had explained everything, absolutely everything I knew—which was bound to confuse a person. I had to hand it to her, though; not once did she scream in terror or try to run away. _She's very good with weird._

She had thought that we were killing people, and I quickly corrected her—we were **saving** these people, not killing them. Billy tactfully gave us some space, reading some novel in the kitchen.

"So… you're okay with this?" I asked, unsure of how she'd react. Bella blinked.

"Yeah, it's just… I always seem to surround myself with supernatural monsters, don't I?" she chuckled. I found myself laughing with her.

After the laughter subsided, she looked at me. _She's beautiful_, I found myself thinking.

"So, why did you decide to tell me all of this now, instead of a week ago when I called?" She didn't look angry now—just curious.

_Truth, or lie_? I knew I couldn't lie to her. I took a breath.

"Bella… this is hard to explain," I laughed, running a hand through my closely-cropped hair. She waited, patient with me as always.

"Uhm…" I struggled, trying to explain without freaking her out. Bella smiled.

"Don't worry about it." She shrugged. "I'm just glad you told me." I sighed, relieved for the time being.

We just sat around then, watching T.V. Bella sat next to me, nestled up into my side. She even allowed me to put my arm around her.

We sat that way for a good hour or so before I noticed that she was snoring very lightly. I grinned.

"Jacob," she mumbled. I glanced down to make sure she was still sleeping, then grinned from ear to ear when I realized that she was talking about me in her sleep.

She muttered something else incoherently, then whimpered. I looked down at her, panicking. A crease had formed between her eyebrows. _Do I wake her up_? I shook her shoulder a little.

"Bella… Bella, honey, wake up." She gasped a bit, looking around for a second before focusing on me. She sighed.

"Sorry," she said. "Nightmares."

I held her for a minute, stroking her long hair. She seemed to calm down as I did so.

A knock came at the door, and from the smell I knew exactly who it was. Bella scooted over so I could get up, and I could see the darkening of her expression as she drew her own conclusions as to who might be at the door. Apparently, even after learning that my avoiding her had been because I had become a dangerous werewolf, she still wasn't too keen on Sam.

"It's alright," I reassured her, making my way to the front door in about three strides. I yanked it open, completely unsurprised to see Sam standing there. I moved out of the way so he could come in.

His nostrils flared, smelling Bella. He looked accusingly at me.

"Jacob, what have you done?" he half-growled at me. After a moment of looking at my face, he relaxed.

"I see," he said softly. He paused, then looked me square in the eye.

"I'm happy for you, Jacob. Take great care with her, though. You're still young."

I nodded—this is exactly what I had expected to hear. I glanced over at Bella again; she was glaring at Sam, as if se could scare him out of the house. I chuckled.

"Bella," I said, walking back over to her. "You remember Sam." I nodded encouragingly. She looked suspicious for another moment, then stood, nodding.

"Yeah, I remember. How are you, Sam?"

Sam smiled. "Been worse. It's nice that you're in on the secret," he laughed. Bella looked slightly sheepish.

"You don't mind?"

Sam looked at me for about half a second, realizing that Bella was unaware that I had imprinted on her. He didn't ask me any questions, though I was sure he would later—he simply shook his head in regard to Bella's question.

"Just make sure you keep the secret." Bella nodded; I bet she would have kept quiet about it even if she had found out on her own. _And I'm sure she would have._

"Jacob, we've got some things to take care of," Sam reminded me.

"We're still chasing that bloodsucker. Seems she has a good survival instinct."

Bella gasped very slightly. "Which vampire?" She looked terrified.

"Redheaded vamp. Very fast." Bella's face got even paler. I grabbed her arms, looking into her eyes.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

Bella's voice was a whisper. "Victoria."

Sam was automatically in Alpha-mode. "You know this vampire?"

Bella nodded. "She's after me. He… Edward…" I could hear the pain in her voice, even now, when she spoke his name. "He killed her mate. And so now she's coming to kill me. An eye for an eye, you know," she half-chuckled, still obviously terrified. I growled—no one would touch her, not if I could help it.

I looked at Sam. "Emily's?" I asked, nodding my head in Bella's direction. Sam thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. I'll ask Embry to stay with them, just in case.'

Bella's face looked worried, and I had to laugh.

"Bella, honey, we're more than a match for one parasite." I kissed her forehead.

"We'll take you to Emily's. She's Sam's fiancée," I added, seeing the blank look on her face. She nodded.

"You'll be careful, right?" she asked quietly. I grinned at her concern.

"We'll be fine. I'll see you again in a few hours. No sweat." She seemed to relax at this, and allowed me to take her hand as we walked out into the rain, me calling to Billy that I'd be home in a few hours.

We took Bella's truck to Emily's house-- throwing my motorcycle in the back for the ride back to Forks-- and after quietly warning Bella not to stare at Emily, I led her inside and introduced her. Hugging Bella, I went back outside to join Sam.

He looked at me and shook his head, chuckling a bit. "Looks like you've got your hands full, huh?"

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A/N: I honestly haven't the first clue where this is going—we'll just have to see what happens. Please review! More to come shortly. =)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything, I just make the characters do the things I want them to XD. No money is being made from this work.

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"_So, you haven't told her yet_." It wasn't really a question.

"_No. I don't really know how. I don't want to scare her off or anything_." The others were keeping out of the conversation, although I could tell they were listening. Of course, everyone knew about my imprinting by now. Paul and Jared hadn't even met Bella yet, and they were very curious.

"_How did you tell Emily_?" I asked Sam. He thought for a moment.

"_At that point… I think I was still figuring it out on my own. I just came out and told her that that's what I thought was happening."_

I groaned a bit. This was very frustrating, trying to figure out a way to tell Bella. _Oh, hey, by the way, I imprinted on you. That just means I love you and I can't live without you. _If I was being honest with myself, not much had changed. I had been in love with her for a while now. Now it was just supernatural love. Great.

Sam chuckled in my head. "_You'll figure it out eventually. She obviously cares about you."_

I smiled a bit. "_Yeah. Now if we can just keep her alive and away from this redheaded leech…"_ I growled.

"_Yeah. No sign of her yet… maybe she gave up for today_?" Paul suggested, chiming in for the first time.

"_Maybe. I'm not willing to take any chances, though_," Sam replied, his nose to the ground in an attempt to catch the disgusting scent of the vampire. "We'll keep going for a little while longer, just to make sure." There was a murmur of general ascent among the pack.

We ran in silence then, concentrating on the hunt. My mind kept going back to Bella, though, wondering what she thought about all of this. We had so much to talk about.

"_Focus, Jacob_," Sam said gently. After that, I tried to commit myself fully to the mission—unsuccessfully.

* * *

An hour later, we returned to Emily's house, pretty defeated. Not one sign of the bloodsucker.

Bella, Emily, and Embry were in the living room, watching some movie. My heartrate kicked up when Bella looked at me and smiled.

She got up and hugged me, smiling. "Good to have you back. Embry must have been getting awfully bored with just us girls around."

I snorted. "Embry, not want to be surrounded by girls?" _Especially Bella_.

I looked at Emily and Embry, still sitting on the couch. "Thanks, guys." Emily smiled at me.

"Anytime. Vampire girl and I seem to get along pretty well." She grinned.

I smiled, then turned to Sam. "I'm gonna take her home." Sam nodded.

"Nice seeing you again, Bella."

Bella smiled a little bit. "You, too. See you guys later," she added.

And I have to say, it made me smile when every single member of the pack waved and said "Bye, Bella!"

Bella and I jogged out to her truck, getting soaked on the way. I got in and slid into the passenger's seat.

"So, did you have fun?" I asked.

Bella nodded. "Emily is very nice. Um…" she paused, looking uncomfortable. I looked at her, waiting for her to tell me what was on her mind.

"What… what happened to her?" she asked me, biting her lip. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Being around werewolves can be dangerous sometimes. Sam lost his temper for a split second and Emily was standing too close. He beats himself up about it, even now."

Would this make her not want to be around me? I didn't know if I could handle that. I needed her.

"Bella." She looked at me, curious.

"You know I would never hurt you."

Bella smiled a bit. "I know that, Jake." She leaned over and gave me a hug.

"Wow, you're warm," she commented. I laughed.

"Wolf thing."

Bella pulled back a bit, resting her head on my shoulder. "Does it bother you? Being a wolf?"

I thought for a minute. "Not anymore. Not since you know." I looked down at her. "I missed you, Bells."

"Missed you too, Jake," she said. She sounded sleepy.

I smiled. "Come on. Let's get you home."

She started the truck and drove back to Charlie's, telling me about the time spent with Emily and Embry. Sounded like she had fun, although she blushed when I said the reason she enjoyed it so much was because she was with Embry. That earned me a slug on the shoulder-- which I didn't actually feel.

We got to Charlie's, and I walked her in, waving at Charlie. He asked if I was staying, and I glanced at Bella. She looked exhausted.

"Nah," I said in reply to Charlie's question. "Bells looks tired. Maybe she'll let me come over tomorrow. Or maybe she'll just want to hang out with Embry some more," I teased, dodging another punch.

Charlie laughed. "Alright. See you tomorrow then." He walked back into the living room, where I could hear a baseball game on the T.V.

Glancing down at Bella, I could see that she didn't want me to go. I smiled.

"Be okay if I snuck into your room tonight?" I whispered to her. She looked surprised, but not angry. Definitely a good sign.

"I still have stuff to talk to you about," I explained. Had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I didn't want to be away from her. Nothing to do with that at all.

She nodded. "See you in a few?"

I kissed her forehead. "Yeah. Just let me get this bike back to La Push and I'll be back."

I opened the front door, facing the pouring rain. "See ya, Charlie!" I called. Then, hauling my bike out of the back of Bella's truck, I made for La Push, hurrying in an effort to get back to Bella as quickly as I could.

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A/N: Any reviews would be appreciated… I really feel like I'm not writing Jacob correctly. Thanks for reading, more soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I think they make you write disclaimers to rub it in your face that you weren't smart or imaginative enough to write something as great as_ Twilight_.

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Billy didn't give me too much trouble when I got home. I think he already knew I would be going to Bella's, somehow. He knew about the imprint, from eavesdropping on the conversation earlier, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Gonna be out late?" was his only question.

"I don't think so… I'm not sure," I admitted. Billy just nodded. I strode back out the door, jogging to the woods and phasing. He wouldn't really care how long I was gone, so long as he knew where I was. I knew he worried.

I ran back to Forks, the trip only taking me three minutes or so. Bella had left her window open. After I phased back, I climbed the tree outside her bedroom, knocking on the side of the window.

"Knock, knock," I grinned. Bella looked a little surprised at first to see me sitting on the windowsill. I climbed in and shook my body, getting her wet from the rain that had stuck to my clothes.

"Ugh! Jake!" Bella complained, wiping the rain water off her face. I grinned, holding one finger up to my mouth in a "be quiet" gesture. I sat on her bed, and just then it occurred to me that I was in a girl's bedroom. I grinned.

"What?" Bella asked, noticing my expression.

"Just realized I'm in a girl's bedroom late at night. Kind of a first for me."

Her face turned crimson, and I chuckled.

"Is Charlie gonna come check on you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. The only time he ever comes in here without knocking first is when I have nightmares." I frowned.

"Do you… have nightmares a lot?"

"Not so much, since I've been hanging out with you." She looked embarrassed to admit that, although it made my chest swell with pride. "Sometimes, though."

"What do you have nightmares about?"

Her face dropped, and her arms tightened across her torso. I knew immediately I had made a mistake. I shook her arm a bit, trying to get her to loosen it up.

"I'm sorry, Bells. Please," I pleaded with her. "I'm really sorry."

She smiled a little. "It's okay," she whispered. After another minute or so, her body finally started to loosen up, and her breathing became more normal.

We were quiet then. "It still hurts for you… to even think about them." It wasn't really a question. I saw what things did to her, how she wouldn't watch T.V much or even listen to music. I had mentioned a CD that I liked one time and her body had locked up like it had done just now. I was often afraid to mention anything that might upset her, though thankfully that didn't seem to happen too often.

"I could kill him," I said, and I was astonished how angry I sounded. I realized that my body was shaking, and I fought to control it.

"Jacob?" Bella asked uncertainly. I smiled, trying to reassure her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to lose my temper." She nodded, understanding. _Gotta watch that temper_.

I looked around her room a little. It was pretty clean. Lots of books. Much bigger than my own room. I realized that I didn't know her that well—I mean, I knew her, probably better than anyone else. But her likes, her interests… I knew nothing about that, aside from the fact that she recently acquired a love of motorcycles.

"So… what kind of books do you like?" I asked, motioning to the books that lay scattered around her room.

"Mostly the classics, I guess. I'm kinda old-fashioned."

That explained why she liked the bloodsucker so much. I hadn't seen much of him, but he didn't seem like a "follow the trend" kind of guy.

"So, you're sure you're okay with me being a werewolf?" I asked her. She smirked a bit.

"After the vampires… werewolves are nothing."

I scowled at that. "We're _way_ cooler."

"Uh huh."

I tickled her side a bit, making her giggle and back away from me.

"But really," she said, catching her breath, "the werewolf thing doesn't bother me. I'm glad I can be around you now." I grinned.

"Missed you too, Bells."

She yawned, and I realized that she must be very tired. It was only ten o'clock, but she had had a long day. I still hadn't found the courage to explain to her yet-- but she clearly needed some rest.

"Would you mind if I stayed here," I murmured, seeing her eyes start to droop. She looked up at me, seeming a little anxious. I grinned.

"I'll behave myself." An image flashed into my mind of Bella naked, but I shoved it away. She needed me to behave right now. "I promise."

She nodded, snuggling into my side as I lay down with her. "'Kay. Just don't hog the covers…" She dozed off then, and I spent one of the best nights of my life curled up next to her.

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A/N: Sorry it's so short—I had TERRIBLE writer's block with this chapter. Please review—next chapter up soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Thanks for rubbing it in.

A/N: Thank you SO much for the reviews! They were a big help =) I dunno why it took so long to write this-- sorry!

* * *

I woke up before Bella did. The room was already sunny—I figured it was about 8:30 or so. Charlie had left already—I had heard him get up earlier to head out to the station.

Bella was still snuggled up next to me, her head resting on my arm. I smirked a bit—her hair was an absolute disaster. She looked content in her sleep. I'm not gonna move her. I closed my eyes again, perfectly willing to sleep until she was prepared to wake up. I was sure she needed the rest.

About five seconds later, the smell hit me.

I bolted upright, my eyes darting around the room instinctively. I got up silently, listening for any kind of noise.

"Jacob?" Bella mumbled, still half asleep. My sudden movement must have woken her.

"Stay here, Bella," I half growled. Her eyes were wide, realizing that there was some sort of danger. I hated that expression. She shouldn't be scared when she was near me.

"Jake, what's wrong?" I could hear the fear in her voice. I pointed my finger at her.

"You wait here."

I slipped out of the bedroom, creeping down the stairs silently. I made it to the living room and, realizing where the sickening smell was coming from, I started for the kitchen, my whole body shaking—ready to phase if I needed to.

The bloodsucker in Bella's kitchen looked incredibly familiar. Not the redhead we'd been hunting—this bloodsucker was tiny, probably about the size of one of my arms. Her hair was black and spiky, and—the biggest difference—her eyes were black. Not red, like normal vampires. I realized where I had seen hr before—she was one of the Cullens.

I was fairly certain she wouldn't attack, but who knew? I wasn't about to let my guard down.

"Is Bella here?" her voice sounded a bit sing-songy. Kinda like wind chimes. Weird.

'Who's asking?" I replied through my teeth. She rolled her eyes.

"Alice Cullen. Look I just want to make sure she's okay." She was looking at me funny now, and I could see her nostrils flare. She was smelling me—trying to figure out what I am.

At that moment, Bella came flying down the stairs, moving so quickly that I was astonished she hadn't fallen down on the way. She raced past me, throwing her arms around the leech in a huge hug. My upper lip curled upward in disgust. I was amazed that Bella could touch this vampire so easily. And wouldn't she have bruises?

"Bella!"

The bloodsucker looked surprised, and also relieved. "Bella," she breathed. "I'm so happy to see you." She paused. "But would you mind backing off?" The bloodsucker held her body very stiffly, and Bella looked up into her face.

"Oops," she said apologetically, backing away. _Hm. What's that about?_

The vampire surveyed Bella for a moment, frowning. I stepped up next to Bella, ready to interfere if anything happened. Considering the treaty, I should have high-tailed it out of there and let Sam know there were vampires back in Forks, but I wasn't about to leave Bella. No way. Sam would just have to get over it.

"Bella, have you any idea why I suddenly can't see you in my visions?"

I was completely puzzled at this. Bella looked up at me, smiling a little apologetically. "I see you've met Alice," she understated. "Alice can… see the future." I groaned a little—it wasn't encouraging to know that the stories about leeches with extra powers were true.

Bella looked at the parasite now. "What do you mean, you can't see me? How long has that been going on?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And how long have you been keeping an eye on me?"

The vampire rolled her eyes. "You couldn't expect us to leave and not check up on you. He told me not to, but… considering your history of finding trouble, I thought it best to play it safe. And I noticed I couldn't see you anymore yesterday, when I checked like I always do."

Bella look confused. "What could cause that?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Alice. "It's never happened before." She paused. "And Bella, what exactly is that awful wet-dog smell? Did you get a puppy?"

I growled, without meaning to. Bella looked guiltily at me.

"Well, Jacob here is... sort of a werewolf." Bella seemed to think there was no reason to beat around the bush about it.

Alice gaped. After a moment, she shook her head.

"Of all the things, Bella…" she said disbelievingly.

I growled again. She hadn't gotten hurt yet with me, and I planned to keep it that way.

"Jacob," Bella reproached softly. I consciously reigned in my anger.

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is it maybe possible that I can't see werewolves?" She looked annoyed at this thought.

"You don't know how your visions work?" I was annoyed as well. Stupid bloodsuckers.

She gave me a scathing look. "They're not very precise, no. But," she continued, "Bella, have you been spending _all _of your time with him?" She jerked her head in my direction. "For the last couple of days?"

"Well, not every second of every day, no. But quite a bit of time." Bella blushed slightly at this.

Alice looked disappointed. "Hm. Well, I can't understand why I'm not seeing you."

I got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach then. What if the reason the bloodsucker couldn't see Bella anymore was because I had imprinted on her? She was tied to me now. And if the leech couldn't see me, it kinda stood to reason that it wouldn't be able to see Bella, now that such a permanent change had occurred.

I needed to tip the leech off, before she continued trying to figure it out and accidentally let it slip to Bella.

"Bells, honey, why don't you get something to eat," I said softly, rubbing my hand soothingly on her lower back. "Breakfast is important." She laughed at that.

"You're not gonna pick a fight, are you?" she asked seriously. I shook my head. How could I, when it would hurt her?

"Alright then." She smiled slightly at the bloodsucker, seemingly confident that the leech wouldn't leave in the short time that it would take for Bella to eat her breakfast, and walked a little sleepily toward the kitchen. I waited until I was sure Bella was out of earshot before turning to the vampire. I sucked in a breath.

"There's sort of a wolf thing going on with Bella and me," I said quietly. The leeches' eyes narrowed. "It's involuntary," I backtracked a bit. "But she's… tied to me. It's complicated," I sighed, frustratedly running a hand through my now close-cropped hair. "But I think that might be why you can't see Bella, if you can't see me in your vision thingies either."

The vampire had been staring at me the whole time, looking slightly shocked. "Is Bella… aware of this?" Stupid leeches. I bet she already knew the answer, but I shook my head anyway.

"Wow." The bloodsucker still looked a little dazed. "When do you plan on telling her?"

"Uhm… as soon as I can figure out how," I replied sheepishly. The bloodsucker looked disapproving, but didn't say anything. It occurred to me that I was having a civil discussion with one of the walking undead. Not something I planned on making a habit out of.

"You guys aren't killing each other yet, are you?" Bella called from the kitchen. I wasn't surprised to hear that she sounded half-concerned. I grinned.

"No… not yet. Charlie would ask questions if his house was torn apart," I called back.

I glanced at the leech. "Don't say anything to her?" I asked, a hint of pleading in my voice. She didn't look happy.

"I won't say anything," she said slowly in her wind-chime voice. "But I think you should tell her. As soon as you can."

I tried not to think about how right she was as I turned toward the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

_So when are you gonna tell her?_

I didn't answer right away, concentrating on the trail I was on. The redheaded leech had taken off, but that didn't mean we didn't do regular sweeps just in case. I had a feeling she would come back.

_I dunno,_ I answered Embry_. I'm not sure how she'll take it_.

_Pft. What do you mean? You love the girl. There's no reason for her to be upset by that. I've seen the way she looks at you. _That pleased me, but the feeling went away quickly.

_I can think of a reason_, I said darkly. An image of Cullen popped into my head before I could stop it. I growled involuntarily.

_I don't think he's coming back_, Embry said quietly. I was glad the rest of the pack was staying out of the conversation—I knew Sam agreed with Embry, and Paul thought I was being stupid as well.

_You never know. She misses him_. While I hated admitting that, was it was obviously true. Bella had been happier—she smiled now, and she looked more human than she had when she first came to me. But as desperately as I wished for it to not be true, she loved Cullen.

_Yeah, but… I dunno, man, I think she might love you too. _

I snorted_. We're friends. That's all she sees right now._

_That might be true_, Embry allowed. I could tell he didn't believe it.

This morning had been weird. The bloodsucker kept looking at me with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. Bella had gushed over the return of her friend, of course. The leech said she would stay for a day or two, which pleased Bella. I was glad she was happy, although I didn't know what would happen when the leech left. Maybe I could convince the bloodsucker to come back and visit for awhile—Bella would like that.

I stayed around the house for awhile, a little leery of leaving it while the vampire was there. But eventually it came time to patrol, and Bella wouldn't let me persuade her to stay with Emily.

"I was around vampires for a long time before I started hanging out with you," she reminded me in a pacifying tone. I couldn't argue with that. And Charlie was fine with the leech staying there—ecstatic, actually. I was amazed, to say the least.

Grudgingly, I left, with the knowledge that the vampire would be there when I got back—Bella had asked her to stay the night. I was going to go there after I was done patrolling, just to make sure everything was okay, though. I hated leaving her.

_Focus on this, Jake, and then you can go_, Sam said privately. I was grateful for the way he was taking this in stride. He knew exactly how I felt—except, of course, for the fact that he never had to deal with the knowledge that the girl he loved was in love with a parasite.

Leave it to me to make things complicated.

I knocked on the door, shaking the rain out of my hair and clothes now that I was under the roof of the front porch (kinda funny how many doglike habits you pick up after running on all fours a few hours every day). Charlie answered, looking pleased as always to see me.

"Hey, Jake," he greeted warmly. "She's in the kitchen. I'm under explicit instructions to stay out of there while she finishes dinner." He rolled his eyes a little.

I stepped in the house, sniffing a bit. Oh, God. Lasagna. Kicking off my shoes by the door, I followed my nose toward the kitchen, eyes wide in amazement. It smelled delicious.

Bella turned around, hearing either my feet or my sniffing. She smiled.

"I hoped you might be here in time for dinner. I made two pans."

I adored this girl.

She opened the oven, checking the food. "Alice told Charlie she was going to her house to check on things, and that she had a big lunch." I had wondered how the leech was going to explain her lack of eating.

Bella grabbed a few potholders, carefully taking out the lasagna pans as I watched, wary of her lack of coordination. She set them on the counter over more potholders, then turned and sat across from me at the kitchen table. I glanced over at the lasagna, salivating a little. Bella giggled.

"Give it time to cool," she chastised me. I grinned.

"So how was … you know." I shrugged, smiling a bit.

"Boring. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Boring," she muttered. "I've never seen someone so determined to get into trouble." I grinned—she just didn't understand the rush you get out of running as fast as we can.

Twenty minutes later, Bella got sick of me staring at the lasagna and called Charlie in to eat. I moaned as I took the first bite, earning a proud smile from Bella. Charlie grinned.

"Isn't she an awesome cook?" I nodded, my mouth stuffed full of cheese, pasta, and meat sauce.

"I don't let Charlie cook anymore," Bella told me. The chief nodded.

"Bella is my savior."

I finished my first bite of food, then looked at Bella in adoration. "Thank you," I said sincerely. Charlie barked out a laugh.

"Bells is a smart girl. Best way to get to a man's heart is through his stomach." Bella blushed, looking down into her plate as I grinned.

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A/N: Relatively short chapter, sorry. More coming soon—thanks for all the reviews, and keep 'em comin'!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Alice came in sometime after dinner, when Bella, Charlie and I were sitting in the living room—Charlie watching the ball game, Bella and myself cracking jokes or making fun of Charlie's team (this was more my doing, as I don't think Bella could even tell you who was playing). It was nice to be able to just sit there, pretending to be normal. I could definitely live like this. Bella was so easy to be around.

Alice announced her arrival as she was walking in the door, and I took that as my cue to leave. Not that I thought I could stand the smell much longer, anyway. I stood, and I was happy to see that Bella frowned as I did so—unhappy to see me leave.

"Hey, Bella, Charlie," Alice trilled, waving. "Hello, Jacob," she added, almost as an afterthought. I nodded my head in very reluctant greeting. I stood, watching Bella look up at me with a slightly confused expression before it dawned on her that me being in the house with a vampire for an extended period of time was probably not a good idea.

"I'll see you around, Bella?" I asked, knowing perfectly well that I would be running around her house tonight, keeping an eye on her as always. Bella nodded.

"I'll walk you to the door."

I nodded, waving at Charlie. "See ya." He waved back.

"Stop back soon." It sounded like he really meant it. I think it helped my case a bit that Chief Swan liked me. Hopefully Bella wouldn't want to kill me so badly when she found out I had imprinted on her with this thought in mind.

I let the way out, grabbing my shoes when I got to the door—without putting them on of course. Bella looked a little sad.

"Bells? You ok?" I looked at her, concerned, trying to remember if I had said anything to upset her. I couldn't remember anything but smiles from her.

She nodded, looking embarrassed. "Yeah. Kinda don't want you to go." Her cheeks flushed. I grinned, which she noticed, swatting my arm.

"Great. I made your head even bigger than it was." I laughed. She had a point.

"See you tomorrow? Maybe we'll do homework," I chuckled. I knew she had to be missing a lot since she started hanging out with me.

She nodded. "Are you gonna be okay… with Alice here? I think she mentioned staying another day or two."

I wasn't thrilled, which must have been obvious to her, but I nodded my head.

"I'll get over it," I said, smiling down at her. Man, I had grown a lot taller. She looked especially tiny now. "I gotta go. Sam probably wants to see me," I added in an undertone so Charlie couldn't hear. She nodded, understanding that. I was glad she was over her hatred of Sam, now that she understood the reasons behind the actions. I sincerely hoped she was over her distrust of me—not that I blamed her much if she wasn't. I must have hurt her pretty bad.

I bent down and kissed her forehead, making her blush again. "Night, Bells."

"Night, Jake," she said softly.

I walked out the door, breaking into a quivering run when I got to the end of the driveway. I phased as soon as I got to the woods.

_Long time, no see,_ Paul joked in my ear. _Apparently we're not as cool as the vampire girl._

_Jake, you reek_, Embry complained. I laughed.

_Yeah, sorry_. They knew all about the leech by now, most of them unhappy with it. The only reason I was allowed to go to Bella's by myself was because I pointed out that it would upset Bella, which would upset me. It was kind of an unspoken rule that you just didn't mess with a pack's mate, in any way. Sam let me go, but I knew Embry and Jared had been running around in the vicinity, listening for trouble. A part of me was grateful for that.

**Any sign of the redhead yet?** I asked. I got my answers in a matter of microseconds, all of them negative.

_Not yet_, Sam said anyway. _Gotta run just in case. If she comes through here, we'll see her. _

The urgency of the matter was only increased by the knowledge that this vampire was after Bella, specifically. I didn't want to think about the idea of the leech getting past us to Bella. My pack mates, however, were more concerned about me—what would happen to me if Bella was harmed. Truth be told, I didn't really want to think of that, either.

I focused on running to get the thoughts out of my head. It worked very well—just becoming the wolf, and letting those instincts take over. So much more simple than being a human, really. Humans are capable of a much wider range of emotions—which isn't to say that wolves and other animals, don't feel love, and hatred, and pain. They just felt it on a lesser scale. It was comforting.

After about ten minutes of this, a smelled something foul. Really foul. Instantly my hackles were up, looking around for danger. The others smelled it then, and we got into a circular formation, our backs pointing into the circle.

_Jacob._ Sam commanded my attention.

_This smells different. _

After a moment, I thought I understood what he meant. This smell was different from the smell of the redhead. It was a different vampire.

_More than one?_ Paul hissed.

A voice called my name. I halted mid-snarl, my ears perking up automatically. I listened intently.

"Jacob," the voice called again. It was sing-songy. Definitely a vampire—and definitely male.

"I mean you and your pack no harm," the voice said, the sound growing louder. The vamp was coming closer. I growled in warning.

"Easy," the voice said. "I mean you no harm." This voice was irritating. And somehow… familiar. My eyes widened.

_Cullen.  
_

_

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_Author's Note: Thank you guys SO much for all of the reviews-- especially the ones telling me to continue ^_^ More to come soon! Sorry for the shortness of the chapter. _  
_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing this one! I'm hoping to get this one finished in the next week or two—I've got vacation time coming up =) Please review!

_What is __**he**__ doing here?_ I couldn't stop from snarling again.

"Easy," the bloodsucker said again in a pacifying voice. "I mean you no harm. I just wanted to talk to you."

I thought about it. Sam balked.

_No way. No way are you phasing right now! _

_It's just for a minute. He just said he wanted to talk. And I've got you guys backing me up._ I was curious as to what he had to say. I had a feeling it had something to do with Bella. I wouldn't let him near her. She was mine, and it was going to stay that way. I heard the vampire make a surprised noise, and remembered that he could hear everything I was thinking. I snarled. Bad enough to be in the presence of a reeking parasite; it was a little too much to know that this one could read my thoughts as well. I didn't think he was prepared for the possessive way I viewed Bella. It wasn't that she wasn't allowed to be her own person—but it was my job to take care of her. No one was taking her away from me.

_Sam. I'm phasing. Watch my back_. I trotted into the woods, phasing back to my human self and pulling on the shorts that had been tied around my left leg. I cautiously walked back to the bloodsucker, wrinkling my noise in disgust at the smell. I heard Sam growl, obviously displeased with my actions.

"You don't exactly smell like roses, either," he murmured in response to my disgust. I looked him in the eyes.

"What do you want?" I half-growled at him. He raised his hands up, a surrendering gesture.

"I don't want a scene. If possible, I would like to avoid having Bella know I'm here." This surprised me. I was sure he'd come to take her back. He shook his head. The mind reading thing was gonna get real old, real fast.

"I just wanted to check on her. I know about the imprinting." Of course he did. "I also know that Bella doesn't know. You should tell her."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, lemme just sit her down and tell her that I'm in love with her, and she's bound to me by some ancient werewolf tradition. I'm sure she'll take that real well."

He smiled slightly. "She does well with the supernatural."

He seemed a little too relaxed to me. Had he found someone better, then? Again, he was shaking his head.

"I could never replace Bella."

"Then why are you so calm? I thought you loved her."

His upper lip curled slightly, revealing the monster he was. "I do. I just recognize the fact that she's safe with you… safer than she would have been with me."

I was surprised. The tone in his voice left no room for doubt; he loved her, still. He cared about her safety. I found it slightly difficult to believe that he would just let her go like that, though.

"I was just checking up on her. I caught wind of Alice's thoughts, and knew about what had happened between you and Bella. I didn't mean to intrude."

My eyes narrowed. "You're really not going to try to take her?" Not that he would succeed.

He shook his head, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. I felt pity for him. I knew what it was like to love Bella, after all. I knew how it felt to think she would never be with me. It was a terrible pain.

I sighed. "I'm sorry." I could tell he knew I meant it. He nodded in thanks.

"May I see her?" he asked hesitantly. He really was leaving it up to me. I weighed my options. He wasn't a threat. I was certain of that now. I don't know what it was—any other vampire, besides his sister, I would have flipped out. But this one… something just told my senses that everything would be fine. I nodded stiffly. I heard the pack grumble a bit in surprise. I didn't care. It was my decision.

"I'm gonna phase. Wait for me to go to her." He nodded in agreement again.

"Thank you," he murmured softly. I quickly lopped back to the trees, yanking my shorts off quickly. As soon as I phased, I heard the tumult of voices.

_You're being an idiot, Jacob._ Sam's was the loudest of them all. I ignored everyone else—Sam was the one who's opinion mattered.

_No, I'm not. Can you honestly believe he'll hurt Bella? Besides, if you want to get technical, he's not doing anything wrong. We're still inside the Forks boundary line—this is their territory. _

_Doesn't make it right,_ Sam argued. _We shouldn't be putting people's lives at stake this way_.

I rolled my eyes. _I wouldn't be doing it if I thought any harm would come of it._

We started trotting back toward Bella's house. I could sense the bloodsucker running with us—we picked up the pace. Didn't want the leech to think he was faster than we are.

We reached Bella's house relatively quickly, and I phased back to human again. I crept over to the side of her house, climbing the tree that was right outside her window. I heard Bella's soft breathing, as well as Charlie's louder snores. The other bloodsucker was here as well, downstairs on the couch. I pulled myself up onto the window sill, aware that the leech was right behind me.

We crept silently into her bedroom. I wasn't sure how much I liked this; having him this close was a little too much for me. But again, I understood. I glanced at the book on Bella's bedside table: Romeo and Juliet. I had never seen the intrigue of the book—seemed pretty depressing to me. But she did say she liked the classics.

"Jane Austen's her favorite," the bloodsucker murmured softly.

I looked at the bloodsucker's face. He looked very sad, but also, in a way, happy. He looked back up at me, hearing my thoughts.

"I'm glad she's safe," he whispered, much too low for Bella to be woken by the sound of his voice. "Thank you for that, Jacob." I nodded. There wasn't much to say.

Bella shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her stomach more. She mumbled a little incoherently. "Mmmm… Jacob," she muttered, pulling her arm under her pillow. My heart jumped at the sound of my name from her lips as she slept. She dreamt of me?

I glanced at the vampire again, and wasn't surprised to see the pain on his face. Then he smiled, just a little. He looked over at me.

"She loves you," he said softly. "Take care of her, Jacob."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. I had every intention of taking excellent care of her.

"What changed?" I asked him, still not quite understanding what was going on.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I still love her. But I left for a good reason, Jacob. She's not safe with me. I could easily lose control with her, or one of my brothers or sisters could. She's very fragile." I could tell something was bothering him as he said this. I thought better of asking about it.

"She could really have a change to be happy with you, Jacob. I want her to have that. I want her to be safe. And I know you won't allow anything to hurt her." He was right about that.

He sighed. "As much as I love her… this is what she needs. She deserves happiness. If I can give her that by staying away and letting her continue to fall in love with you…" He shrugged. "I'd gladly pay that price." We were silent for a few moments.

Then Edward chuckled. "My sister is getting impatient. I should go see her." He turned to walk out of Bella's room and downstairs, moving silently. I looked at Bella for another moment, stepping forward to gently tuck her mahogany-colored hair behind her left ear. Then I followed downstairs.

Alice nodded her head in my direction, her way of greeting me. Then she looked back at her adopted brother.

"How long?" she asked.

"I'm leaving now. I just came to check up." He grinned slyly. "You didn't see me coming."

She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't paying much attention. I've been focused on Bella." She looked irritated.

Edward gasped slightly in surprise. "…Interesting."

I sighed. "I don't know how people stand to be around you," I complained to Edward. Alice chuckled, understanding what I meant. Good. This was getting frickin' annoying.

"He was taken slightly aback at the revelation that I can't see you, and even more so at the fact that because Bella's life is so intertwined with yours now, I can't see her either."

"How strange," Edward murmured, deep in thought. He seemed to snap out of it, realizing that people were still standing there. He looked at Alice expectantly.

"I suppose you'll be staying here for awhile," he said, not really asking a question. Alice nodded.

"Bella wants me to stay for a few days. Besides, I'm still trying to convince the mutt here to fess up," she said, tossing her head in my direction. I rolled my eyes.

"No one's going to give me a break on this one, are they?" I asked rhetorically, annoyed. Really, what business was it of theirs, anyway?

"She deserves to know," Alice said gently.

"I'm afraid of what she'll say," I admitted. "What if she doesn't want me to be imprinted on her? It would be like taking her choice away from her—because I'm in love with her, she has to be in love with me too. It's not fair."

Edward looked at me sympathetically. "She cares about you. I think if you explain it just right, she'll be okay with it."

I snorted. "Great. Now if I could just figure out which was is just right, I'd be fine."

Alice chuckled a little. "You'll figure it out. You better hurry though, before she gives up on you and starts looking elsewhere." I growled at this, disgusted by the thought. My Bella being interested in anyone else was an enraging thought.

Edward sighed. "I better get going. Knowing my luck she'll wake up in the middle of the night and find me here." He looked up at me, then stepped toward me, slowly so as not to scare me, I supposed. He surprised me by sticking out his hand.

"We'll be seeing each other again. I'll try to make it a point to stay out of your business, though," he said, smiling slightly. I stared at his hand for a moment, then took It, ignoring the freezing cold temperature of his skin.

_Thank you_, I told him. I saw him nod slightly, removing his hand from my grip.

"See you at home, Alice," he said, hugging her. He walked to the door, pulling it open—and froze.

"Edward?" Alice asked, concern in her voice. I saw Edward's nostrils flare. His head turned lightning-fast, looking at me with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Victoria is in Forks."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its' characters. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made from this work.

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I whipped around and strode back toward my pack at a quick pace, loping toward the cover of the trees. I heard the bloodsuckers behind me, keeping pace with me. Once I hit the trees, I phased, quickly finding my brothers. I didn't need to fill them in on anything—their keen ears had heard it all.

_We need to get to Bella_, I said. It went without saying that we would protect her—not one of my brothers would leave her unprotected, not now that she meant so much to me. My mind automatically envisioned her cowering in a corner, stalked by one of the blood-drinkers. The unwelcome imagery lingered, and I shook my head, clearing it. I refused to think of that. No harm would come to my Bella.

_Alright. Let's get to her house, quickly. Once we're sure she's safe, we'll split and find the bloodsucker._ Sam eyed Alice and Edward as he spoke. _Jacob, you're sure—_

Yes. I didn't trust the bloodsuckers—although Alice was starting to grow on me—but I knew what Bella meant to Edward. There was no denying his feelings for her- he would make sure she was safe. I saw him nod his head, looking straight at me. He was taking this as seriously as I was.

_We can trust them. _

Sam said no more on the subject. I was glad he trusted me. I had only been a member of the pack for a short time, but Sam and the others knew I was capable of protecting humans. He led us through the forest, moving at almost full speed. Jared followed closely, protecting his best friend's back. Bella's house was only minutes away at the speed we were moving at. The vampires kept up well.

When we got to Bella's house, I went forward quickly, phasing in the shadows and sneaking up to the side of her house. I scaled the wall quickly, wrenching the window open as silently as possible.

Bella's room was dark, and I could hear her soft snoring. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. She was safe.

I carefully crept over to her bed, sitting lightly on the edge of it, next to where she was curled up. Her face was covered in her hair; I tucked it behind one ear gently, so as not to wake her up.

I briefly considered waking her and letting her know of the danger, then thought better of it. No need to worry her if we could take care of it without her being any the wiser.

I made sure the blanket on her bed was tucked securely around her, then crept back to the window, over the sill and outside. I jumped the fifteen feet or so back down to the ground, landing on the balls of my feet. I strode back to the waiting pack, who didn't look worried. The mind-reading bloodsucker must have told them that everything was safe in the Swan residence.

I quickly phased back. _Alright_, I said, looking at Sam. _What do we do?_

_We need to split up._ He looked at Edward. _Where do you think she is? Can you smell her_?

"Over to the west. Her scent is strong— she's trying to track Bella." He frowned. "Perhaps one of us should stay here and keep an eye on the house. I would be able to listen for them and we could come back quickly should she get past us and make her way here."

Paul chuckled a little at the thought of the bloodsucker getting past us. But I thought the vamp had a valid point. _I agree,_ I piped up. _So, who stays?_ I looked around. I knew none of my brothers would be too keen on staying behind, even if it was necessary.

Luckily, Alice spoke up. "I don't mind," she said in her ringing voice, looking at Edward. I was slightly impressed with her lack of a need for translation from her…brother. It seemed she was used to these kinds of conversations. She was still looking at Edward. I wondered if they were having some kind of unspoken conversation. Edward glanced at me.

"She wondered if you're prepared for this."

A chuckle echoed around the circle of werewolves. Was she kidding? Edward smirked a little.

_Alright. Alice_, Sam thought, disliking using the vampire's name, will _stay here and keep an eye on Bella and her father. Jared, Paul and I will head off to the west, near the police station. Jacob, take Embry and the bloodsu—Edward to the school and see if you can find her there._

Edward looked as though he were deep in thought. "She's smelled me. She's trying not to think of where she is, although she's considered giving up."

Sam nodded. _Hopefully she'll slip up. Let's move—I want this done tonight._

I had to admire his leadership skills. I would never be this calm directing my brothers, especially on a mission as important as this. Sam ignored my internal monolog; he disagreed, and thought that I would make a good leader. Pft. The only thing I was good at was leading my feet to the kitchen for some grub.

I led Embry and Edward away, taking the quickest route through the woods to get to Forks High School. Alice stayed put, keeping to the shadows while watching the house intently for any signs of the redheaded leech. I glanced at Edward—he seemed very focused. Had to hand it to the vamps. At least they knew how to hunt.

We made it there in record time. I was very surprised at how fast the bloodsucker was. Faster than most. We circled the school, and found nothing. She had definitely been there—the stench radiated all over the place. Disgusting.

_Well, she's not here._ Good job pointing out the obvious, Embry.

_Any sign of her mentally?_ I asked Edward. He shook his head, looking irritated. It seemed it wasn't often people (or vampires, for that matter) knew how to get around his telepathic abilities.

"She's imagining a brick wall," he said, gritting his teeth. I snorted. I supposed the leech thought she was funny.

I sniffed around a little, letting my wolf senses take over momentarily. I caught a scent and followed it, around the back of the school where the woods picked up again. I found the trail—looked like she was trying to take a roundabout way to the Swans'. I followed my nose. _I'd make a damn good Labrador_. Edward chuckled slightly, running with us.

I followed the trail a good three or four miles before it started heading me east, back toward Bella's house. I growled. Bloodsucking bitch wasn't going anywhere near her.

I picked up the pace, really pushing myself. I urged my legs to go faster. We came to the street where Bella lived and slowed down, keeping a wary eye out.

"There!" Edward gasped slightly. I looked around, but didn't see anything. I glanced at Edward.

_What the hell are you talking about?_

He grinned. "She slipped. She's nearby—I saw a tree that looks familiar."

I focused more, willing myself to see beyond the trees. Edward crept forward slightly. Then, he abruptly stopped, whipping his head toward Bella's house.

"Alice caught her scent. She's near Bella's house."

I took off at a run, no longer concerned about secrecy. Let the neighbors see a gargantuan wolf outside at four in the morning—what did I care at this point? _SAM. GET OVER HERE_, I mentally bellowed. I made it to Bella's house in about three seconds.

"She's coming." Alice sounded quite calm. "I can smell her. I can't see her though—the pack is preventing that." She sounded a little agitated about that fact. I rolled my eyes a little.

_We're on our way, Jacob_. I saw in my mind where Sam and the others were; they'd be here on a little under a minute. I stayed poised, my upper lip curling back slightly.

I didn't have time to register the change in Edward's body, it happened so immediately. One moment he was standing in a slightly crouched position, waiting just like I was. Then he moved, darting toward me. I almost attacked him furiously, thinking he was turning on us—and then I realized what had happened.

The redhead hadn't wanted to wait any longer. She darted out of the trees lightning-fast, aiming for Edward first. I don't even know that she noticed that I was there. Edward took a swipe at her, snarling gutturally, but she managed to dodge it. She ran for the side of the house, starting to climb up the brick, before I was able to dash over there. I let out a loud growl, sinking my teeth into her calf. She snarled in pain as I threw her to the ground.

The rest of the pack had shown up. We circled her; I watched her scarlet eyes widen at the sight of the five of us, working in synchronization with vampires. She knew she didn't stand a chance; this fight would be over only a minute after it had started. I saw Edward lean forward, taking position to lunge at her. This irritated me. I wanted to finish her. Edward looked at me, his expression unreadable. He jerked out of his stance and stepped back, allowing me to continue. If I had been in my human form I would have grinned.

I lunged, grabbing her arm with my teeth and dragging her down to the damp grass. I went for her throat then. She barely made a sound before I had violently ripped her throat apart. I stepped back when my work was done, vampire blood dripping down the fur on my chin. Disgusting smell. I almost gagged.

"We'll need to separate the body parts and burn them," Edward muttered quietly. "Nice work, Jacob." I nodded in thanks.

"You might want to go check on Bella. I think I heard her wake up." He sounded like he was trying not to sound jealous that it was me checking up on her.

Damn, he was right. I heard her in her bedroom, standing near her window. Her breathing was coming quickly, although I doubted she could see us in the dark—there weren't any street lights near her house.

_We'll take care of this. You were excellent. _ Sam's praise made my chest swell with pride, for some reason. I liked that he knew he could trust me.

_Man. You rocked it_, Embry said, nudging his nose against my shoulder the way he might have playfully punched it had we been in our human forms.

I trotted over to the house, changing back into my other form as I did so. I climbed up the wall again, jumping through her bedroom window.

I had barely had time to look at Bella before I felt her in my arms. She was shaking.

"Bella, honey," I said, alarmed. What the hell was going on? "What's the matter?"

She looked up at me. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I recognized her. I was afraid."

I rolled my eyes. One day she'd learn. "Bells, I'm not gonna let anything hurt you."

She looked slightly annoyed. "I wasn't worried about me, idiot. You could have really gotten hurt." I laughed.

"Did you even see any of that? We had her taken care of in about a minute."

"Still."

I rolled my eyes, still chuckling. Then I wondered—she had seen the female leech. Had she been able to spot Edward? I didn't know whether or not I could hang onto her if she had seen him and wanted to go back to him—a thought that thoroughly terrified me. But she hadn't said anything, so I wasn't about to bring it up.

I pushed her slightly messy hair away from her face. "You're okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just worried." She narrowed her eyes. "You better be making sure you're careful. I don't like that you're out there…" The thought that she was worried about me gave me butterflies in my stomach. I kissed her forehead, smiling.

"I've got to go take care of some things, alright?"

She looked unhappy. "Will you be coming back?"

I grinned. "You want me here?" She nodded, looking embarrassed. I loved the way her pale cheeks grew bright red when she was embarrassed.

"Then I'll come back."

I opened the window back up and slipped silently out of it. After all that, Charlie hadn't even woken up. Embry and Paul were still in the front yard; Alice and Edward were slightly off to the side. I approached slowly; it looked like they were having another conversation.

Edward looked my way when I got closer.

"I should get going." He spoke quietly, so Bella wouldn't hear.

I nodded. "I'm, uh… glad you were here. Y'know, to help with the female."

"I was glad to be here." He looked up at Bella's window, and I recognized the look as one o f longing. He missed her.

"Take care of her." He stuck out his hand to shake. I took it in mine; it felt like an ice cube.

"I will. Trust me."

He smiled slightly. "I believe you." He turned around and hugged his "sister."

"I'll see you in a few days," she said. It was good she wasn't leaving with Edward—it would have upset Bella.

Edward sighed. "I'd better go. I'm going to California with Esme and Carlisle. Spent enough time brooding," he muttered, almost to himself. I almost felt bad for him. I knew how much Bella meant to me; it was almost impossible not to love her. I had feelings for her before I had even become a werewolf; I couldn't imagine losing her. And he was having to deal with that.

I saw him cast a wry smile in my direction. "Thanks for the sympathy." He paused, looking as though he were thinking intently. "I really believe she'll be safer with you."

I nodded. "I won't let anything hurt her."

"I know." He looked over to the pack, focusing on Sam.

"Thank you."

He waved casually at Alice, then turned, jogging away. He hit running speed a few yards away… and then he was gone.

I glanced at Sam. "Do you need me any more tonight?" He shook his head. I understood that he was giving me the go-ahead. I nodded, almost to myself, and strode toward the house again, vaulting myself through the window.

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A/N: Thank you for your patience- my muse has apparently gone on vacation. More to come soon!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's' characters. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work.

A/N: Glad this is coming along =) Also, I have a website for Twilight fans: .com/penombrapersempre/index/ Take a look if you don't mind, sign up, and chat! Reviews keep me going ^_^

* * *

Bella was still sitting up in her bed when I got up to her room. She had her light purple comforter pulled up past her chest; I made sure to close the window behind me. I hardly even noticed the cold. She scooted over on her bed, making room for me. I took a good look at her. She still seemed afraid.

"You should have told me," she said quietly. I nodded. I probably should have.

"I didn't want to worry you." I shifted a little more, so my body was closer to hers. She curled up next to my side, and her slight shivering stopped.

We were quiet for a minute. I wondered what she was thinking. She still hadn't said anything about Edward; I assumed she hadn't been able to see him. I was glad for that. She shifted her body so she was laying down more, and I cautiously shifted the same way. I tried not to let the teenage guy in me dwell on the fact that I was laying in a girl's bed.

"Did Alice know about it?" she asked sleepily, yawning mid-sentence. I grinned.

"Who do you think was here keeping an eye on you?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella roll her eyes. "Figures." A beat. Then—"Thank you. For protecting me."

I chuckled. "Duh." She laughed at that. I loved her laugh.

Her breathing was slowing as she was drifting off to sleep. I turned and kissed her forehead. "Do you want me to go?" She shook her head.

"No. Stay." I smiled softly.

I should tell her now, I thought. I had no idea how to do it. Frankly, I was still terrified. I had no idea how she would react, especially since we had thought that it was all a myth. I glanced at her. She was already asleep, I realized. Any big discussions would have to wait until tomorrow anyway.

I wrapped my arm around her and shut my eyes, knowing I would have to be careful to get out of there before Charlie woke up. He liked me, but something gave me the feeling that he wouldn't take too kindly to anyone sneaking into his daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night to snuggle up next to his daughter. I silently laughed at the expression he would no doubt have on his face if he were to ever find out about this.

Drifting off to sleep next to Bella, I resolved to thank the bloodsucker at some point for coming back; Bella was safe now.

I woke up at about six-thirty, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. The hour or so I got helped, but I really just needed to crash for awhile. I slipped out of Bella's room, making sure she was tucked in. I phased when I hit the trees, running back to La Push.

_Morning,_ Embry greeted me.

_You sly dog_, Paul joked. I could almost see the way he would be grinning.

_You didn't even kiss her_? He asked, slightly surprised. Way to get his head out of the gutter.

_Nope. Perfect gentleman_. He shuffled through my mind.

_Geez. You cuddled. You really are whipped_. I just rolled my eyes. Sadly, he was right.

_Everything go smoothly last night after I left?_ I asked. Embry was kind enough to mentally run down everything. _Boring, for the most part. Just regular patrol. _I assumed things would be a little quieter with the redheaded vamp out of the picture.

I headed back toward my house, changing back into my human form as I came up on the driveway. I walked into the house, noticing my dad in the kitchen right away. He nodded his head in greeting, not looking up from his newspaper- although I noticed his slight smile. My dad worried about me, although he never mentioned anything. He didn't look the least surprised or angry to see me walking in wearing yesterday's clothes after not coming home last night. One of my brothers had obviously come by and filled him in.

"Hey," I greeted him, making my way to the fridge. I grabbed the milk carton and took a long pull from it, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and putting it back in the fridge. I heard the old man chuckle.

"Y'know, that'll annoy the hell out of Bella," he said, still chortling. I grinned a little—he was right.

"Speaking of which," Billy said casually, "you tell her yet?" I didn't have to ask what he was talking about.

"Actually, I was thinking about bringing it up today." I fought to sound nonchalant. He nodded, looking thoughtful.

"She might be alright with it," he said, looking back down at the sports section. "That girl will surprise you." I had to agree with that.

He was silent for a moment, and I turned to make my way into my closet-sized bedroom. His voice stopped me.

"Sam says one of the Cullens was in town again. Besides that little female."

I wheeled around slowly. I knew how my dad was on the subject of the Cullens.

"Yeah, Edward was back in town. Checking on Bella, you know."

He raised his eyebrows. "And you're… okay with this?"

I shrugged. "It was fine. Actually, he and the female helped us take care of another bloodsucker. Apparently this one had some personal issue with Bella." I noticed that I was grinding my teeth as I said this. "So, it actually turned out to be a good thing. He's gone now, anyway."

Billy nodded, still looking skeptical. "And when is the female leaving?"

"I'm not sure. But… Bella likes her being there. It's like… they're best friends. I don't want to upset her." What the hell was with the Twenty Questions, anyway? I knew he was the leader of the tribe—at least, until Sam had phased and become Alpha—but really, didn't he trust me to make the right decisions?

He seemed to be reading my mind. "I trust you, Jacob. I'm just worried. I know how difficult being… diplomatic might be, especially where Bella is concerned."

"There's no threat."

He raised his hands in front of him in a surrendering gesture. "Hey, I believe you. So long as you know what you're doing." He chuckled. "Maybe I'm just being a nosy old man."

I grinned a bit. He was just trying to help—he was concerned for Bella. I understood that.

"Well, thanks. Maybe you being an old meddler is a good thing." He whacked me on the arm with the newspaper as I passed.

Chuckling, I made my way into my room to change my clothes. I pulled off my t-shirt, tossing it into the corner. Ew. I smelled like vampire.

After changing into my slightly-less-disgusting-smelling jeans and shirt, I reappeared in the kitchen.

"Any plans for today?" I asked Billy.

"Nah. Just watchin' the game." He appraised my appearance. "Going over to Bella's already? You're actually wearing a shirt with no grease on it. I didn't know you still had one that clean." I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. He sure was a jokester nowadays.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go over there today. She comes over here often enough."

He nodded. "Maybe she'll come visit again, once the craziness dies down. I miss her cooking." I laughed, nodding. I strode out the door, waving.

"I'll stop in tonight before I head out with the pack." Billy nodded, already making his way to the living room to watch the game.

I considered phasing—it was faster—but I hadn't driven my Rabbit in awhile. All that trouble of fixing it up just for me to find a better mode of transportation. I popped back in the house and snatched my keys off the counter just inside the door. Starting the car, I realized how crazy I'd been. I was proud of this thing.

Taking the car to Bella's didn't really take that much more time than running. I pulled onto the street and put it in park. As soon as I got out of the car I could hear noise coming from the kitchen. Good, she was up. I ran a hand nervously through my now-short hair. Time to bite the bullet.

I strode to the door, knocking lightly. Barely two seconds had passed before she opened the door. She must have woken up recently—her cheeks were still rosy from sleep and her eyes looked a little bleary, although she had clearly run a rush through her hair and brushed her teeth; I could smell her minty toothpaste. She was beautiful. I smiled.

"Morning!" I said cheerfully.

"Good morning," she laughed, opening the door and stepping back to let me in the house. "I didn't expect to see you."

"Well, of course. Wanted to spend the day with my favorite person." I loved the way I made her blush. I sat down at the table. It was still pretty early; Charlie was still upstairs snoring. Bella had gone back to the oven—it looked like she was making omelets. She glanced back, catching me staring.

"Hungry?"

My stomach rumbled in response. She laughed, turning toward the refrigerator. She pulled out another dozen eggs and a larger pan and got to work. Soon the kitchen smelled of eggs, cheese, mushrooms, and ham. I was salivating. I love this girl.

"So," she said, tipping the huge omelet onto a plate and setting it in front of me, "what are we doing today?" She set some buttered toast on my plate as well. "Alice went hunting, se won't be back until tomorrow."

I took a huge bite, swallowing quickly. Man, these are good eggs. "I was thinking about getting the bikes out, actually. We haven't ridden them in awhile." Hopefully, I could get her somewhere relatively quiet, maybe down by the beach. It would probably be easier to tell her about imprinting there.

She nodded, looking enthusiastic. She started on her own eggs; her portion size looked tiny compared to mine.

"Sounds like fun. We'd better just tell Charlie that I'm hanging out in your garage, though. Will Billy tell?"

I shook my head. "Nah. He's cool about it. Besides, it's not like you'll get hurt with me."

"True." I was proud that she had so much faith in me. "When did you want to go?"

"When can you be done with your omelet?"

She took a rather large bite, kicking it into high gear to hurry up. I wolfed down (no pun intended) the rest of mine, finishing it off with the glass of milk she had also brought to the table for me. While she was finishing up, I took my plate to the sink and washed it quickly.

"You don't have to do that, Jake," she protested. I shrugged, and she let it go. She took care of her plate, then grabbed the pad of paper and pen from the counter, hastily scribbling a note to Charlie telling him where she'd be, omitting the details. Then she grabbed her jacket.

"Alright. Let's go!" Her enthusiasm made me smile. I opened the door, letting her out first.

She looked surprised to see the Rabbit.

"Wow. You haven't driven your car in awhile. Kinda nice to see it." I laughed.

"That's what I thought." I started up and pulled out of the parking spot.

The ride back to La Push was short and quiet; Bella still wasn't listening to music. That was a little disheartening. I hoped I would be able to get her back to her normal self, the way she was before Cullen had left her. I had more respect for the guy now, but knowing that he put her through that kind of pain had me seething. My hands unconsciously tightened on the steering wheel, turning my knuckles white.

"Jake, you okay?" I glanced at Bella and noticed she was staring at my hands. I shot her a smile and willed myself to loosen up.

"Yeah, Bells, I'm fine," I attempted to reassure her. She looked at me for a moment like she was going to push the subject, but turned away, worrying her lower lip with her teeth.

We pulled up to my house. I could see the curtains in the kitchen move ever so slightly, and I knew that Billy was checking to see if I had Bella with me. Nosy old man.

We skipped going in to say "Hi" to Billy, instead making our way around the back of the house to the garage. I cleaned up some tools I had left lying around quickly, then turned to smile at Bella.

"Ready? You're not gonna fall again, are you?" I teased, mock-scolding her. She stuck her tongue out at me, making me chuckle.

"I think I can manage." She had a strange look on her face; happy, yet anxious. Was she afraid?

"We don't have to," I said, trying to gauge her expression. She looked up at my worried face and smiled.

"No, I want to," she assured me, walking over to her bike. I debated arguing with her about it for a moment, then thought better of it. If something was bothering her, she would tell me when she was ready to.

I hopped on my bike with her, starting it as she followed suit.

"Follow me," I shouted, starting to lead the way.

I led her out onto the highway, through a road in the woods, and down by one of the quieter beaches in the area. I came here when I wanted to be by myself. We slowed down and parked the bikes under a nearby tree. I got off my bike, taking in a deep breath.

Bella noticed the look on my face. "Jake, are you okay?" she asked, swinging her leg over her bike in a dismount. I smiled a little at the concern on her face. I held out my hand as she came around the bike to where I was standing, and she took it without hesitation.

"Walk with me," I said quietly.

We walked by the water for a minute or two (carefully avoiding any areas with too many rocks on the ground, which would certainly serve as a tripping hazard for Bella). After a few minutes, we came to a wide, sturdy log, which I led her to. Sighing, I sat down. I glanced at Bella; a puzzled look remained on her face.

"Jake, something's bothering you. Is everyone okay? No one got hurt last night, did they?"

"No, no, nothing like that," I reassured her. I should have known that would be the conclusion she would jump to. "No, I just wanted to tell you something." She sat, patiently, waiting for me to continue. I was grateful for her patience.

"You know how there are some stories about werewolves? Myths and stuff," I started. She nodded, not speaking, allowing me to say what I had to say.

"Some of them are kinda weird. Like being so strong and fast, or being able to heal quickly." I looked up at her face; she was still watching me, waiting.

"Some of them are weirder." I took a breath. She still didn't say anything, but I felt her slip her hand more securely into mine, and for some reason that encouraged me.

"See, for werewolves… certain relationships can be a little weird. Sometimes, something called 'imprinting' happens." I was trying to explain as best as I could; even for us werewolves, the subject of imprinting was a little weird to discuss. It wasn't the most simple to describe. I glanced up at Bella; she was still looking at me.

"Basically, we… we become tied to one person when we imprint. It's like falling in love, but stronger. Way stronger. It's like that person becomes the center of the universe, and nothing else matters. Sam and Emily are imprinted," I added. This seemed to make sense to her so far. She didn't look panicked, merely thoughtful. "He saw her and never saw anyone else again."

"Sort of like love at first sight," she mused. I smiled; she got it. Good, she wasn't running away, yelling to me that I was a lunatic.

Her brow creased a little. "But why are you telling me this?"

Ah, the catch. "Well, like I said, it happens with werewolves." I glanced at her. "It happened to me."

She was quiet. She looked away for the first time, and I thought she looked sad. Why?

She looked back at me after a moment, then forced a smile. "So, who is it?" she asked, attempting to sound nonchalant. I might have rolled my eyes if I hadn't been so astonished. Was she **blind**?

"You, Bells."

I risked another look. She looked slightly shocked. I waited for a moment.

"Um… wow." She said softly at last.

"Completely involuntary, I assure you," I said quickly. She glanced at me, and I realized how that might have sounded. I explained what I meant hurriedly.

"I mean, I loved you anyway. This just makes it a little different."

She was silent. I still waited with bated breath, praying she wouldn't start yelling at me. She looked at me, and I was surprised when a bark of laughter suddenly burst from her lips.

"You look absolutely terrified," she giggled. I couldn't help myself—I grinned with her.

"Well, yeah," I said, laughing.

She shook her head, still giggling. "So how long ago did this happen?"

"You remember that morning you came to my house, right after I became a werewolf?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"That long, huh?" I was shocked. She was taking this extremely well.

"Well, like I said, it happens when you see the person after you phase."

She looked at me. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

She hadn't gotten upset yet—might as well tell her the whole truth. "I was afraid you'd be mad at me."

Confusion again. "Mad at you? What for? It's not like you can control it."

I chose my words carefully. "No… but I love you. Always have, really. And I'm willing to give you all the time you need, but I'm hoping, eventually, you'll love me too."

Now she was very quiet. I could almost see the thoughts in her head. I reached out and lightly stroked her cheek.

"Bella. I know you love him. I get it, I swear I do. But I love you. If I have to wait forever, I will. I think I could be really good for you. I'm strong enough to take care of you. And we get along so well… most of the time," I added as an afterthought. She smiled at that.

"I just… don't know if I'm ready to give up on him," she whispered. I thought I heard something snap in my chest at her words. But I understood.

"I get that. Just... think about it? I really don't think he's coming back," I added as gently as I could. I felt the old hatred of him surge through me again; regardless of how he had helped me protect her, he had still broken her like this. I would never forgive him for it.

I stood quickly. Looking down at her, I smiled, and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"You'll have all the time in the world to think about it—I'm not going anywhere," I smiled. "Nothing's changed, except that now you know. Don't think about it for now. Come on," I said, offering her my hands to help her to her feet. "These bikes are gonna waste away in my garage the way we've been neglecting them." I led her back to the tree under which our bikes rested, hopping on and taking off again.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything. I just play with the characters.

* * *

We got back to my dad's house after riding around aimlessly for awhile. It was starting to rain when we pulled up to the garage. _Rain in Washington—who'd have thought._

We got into the house, thankfully making it inside just before it started really storming out. I shook my head like a dog to get the water that had found its' way on my hair

"Ugh, Jake!" Bella complained. I chuckled.

"What's all the hilarity about in here?" Billy wheeled himself into the kitchen, a grin covering his face. "Hey, Bella," he added. Bella waved.

"Please tell me you're staying long enough to cook dinner," Billy said. I wasn't actually sure if he was kidding. Bella grinned.

"I suppose I'd better—you cook about as well as Charlie does." I snorted in laughter. Damn right.

"By the way, Jacob, Sam called. He wants you to give him a call. Sounded kind of important." I grabbed the phone off the hook on the kitchen wall and started dialing the numbers. Sam didn't make calls just to chat.

"You want me to step out a minute?" Bella asked softly. I shook my head; she was probably curious, too. I saw her smile a little, looking grateful.

Sam picked up on the second ring. "Jacob?" he asked immediately.

"Yeah, it's me. What's up?"

"We caught scent of another one."

I was flabbergasted. "Where?" I hadn't smelled anything remotely like a vampire all day.

"Up north, towards the woods. Smells like just one, but it's nothing we've smelled before. This one's new."

I was internally kicking myself. I should have phased sometime during the day, just to check in with everyone. I'd dropped the ball.

"Sam, I'm really sorry—"

"Don't worry about it," Sam cut across me. He actually didn't sound too upset. "We all understand."

I snorted. I could bet that Paul, at least, wanted to kick my ass.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." I shot a look at Bella. "When does Charlie expect you back?" I asked, covering the mouthpiece of the phone with my hand.

"Not for a few hours," she said.

Sam spoke up in my ear. "Bring her with. Emily won't mind staying with her."

"I'll be right there then." I hung up the phone quickly, then dashed to my room, grabbing a raincoat for Bella. On my way back to the kitchen, Billy glanced at me. He tried to look calm, but I could see that he was tense.

"Sam thinks there's another one in the area," I said before he could ask. There was a hard look in Billy's eyes. I could guess what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same. This had to have something to do with Bella.

I handed her the jacket, which she put on without question. We strode back outside, where it was pouring rain. It didn't bother me, of course, but Bella looked a little chilly.

We got into my Rabbit and I took off quickly. I noticed Bella double-checking her seatbelt to make sure it was securely fastened. I grinned**. **_Definitely the daughter of a cop. _

We made it to Sam and Emily's place in about two minutes. Bella and I rushed inside, where everyone was standing in the kitchen. I saw Paul glare at Bella, and I growled. He looked at me, then smiled sheepishly. I was still pissed at him.

"Hey, Bella," Emily greeted her warmly. I was grateful for that—Bella put up a great front, but I was willing to bet she was a little weirded out.

"Alright, let's get going," Sam said. Without comment the rest of the pack made their way out the door. Sam stopped and kissed Emily goodbye, running his hand down the scars covering half her face. I turned to Bella, kissing her on the forehead. She blushed.

"I'll be back soon," I promised her. I could see that she was afraid. I smiled.

"Stop worrying," I grinned at her. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, then put her small arms around me, hugging me close to her.

"Hurry back," I heard her whisper. I hugged her tightly, then turned and strode out the door.

I tried to keep my mind focused on the task at hand—no easy feat. My mind was reeling, thinking of her arms around me, and of our conversation earlier by the beach.

_Awesome! She took it really well, huh?_ Embry congratulated me.

_About time_, Paul grumbled. I ignored him, still pissed at the way he had looked at Bella earlier, although I could tell he was also happy for me.

_All that worrying for nothing, I guess_. She still hadn't given me a definitive answer, but I was willing to give her time to think it over. She hadn't run away screaming—that equaled a victory in my book.

_Congratulations, Jacob_, I heard Sam say inside my head. I was glad he approved of her; I respected Sam, and thought of him as a mentor in some ways, though I didn't tell him that aloud.

_Thanks. Hey, I'm really sorry about earlier today. I should have phased and checked in with you guys—_

_Don't worry about it, he cut across me again. We've got you now. I don't know what this vamp is doing—it doesn't really seem to have much of a destination. The scent is all over the place—we found it in a meadow before, way out in the middle of the woods. Seems like the bloodsucker's been coming back to that spot regularly. That's where we'll go first. _

I could see the spot in his head. It didn't make any sense to me why the vamp would pick that spot—maybe because of the location? Perhaps the leech was trying to be inconspicuous.

We got there relatively soon, due to the speed at which we were running. The meadow was relatively small, as meadows go, but I could understand the draw for the vamp—Bella's scent was here, as well as Cullen's. I growled low in my chest.

_Easy, Jacob_, Sam said. Everyone else smelled it too, and it made us all the more focused. My brothers felt almost as angry that someone was after Bella as I felt.

We searched for a few more minutes, thoroughly checking to make sure the area was clear.

_It's not here_, Sam finally acknowledged.

So where do we look now, I asked. This was irritating. What was it with these leeches?

_Well, I would suggest one or two of us staying here to make sure this area is covered; I have a feeling the bloodsucker will be coming back here eventually. The rest of us should keep an eye out around Forks and La Push._

_I'll stay_, I immediately offered. This seemed the most likely place to have a chance at getting this bloodsucker. I wanted to make sure I was the one to take it down. I was surprised at how furious I was.

Sam nodded. He understood. _Jacob stays_.

_I'll stay too_, said Embry. I was glad for that; he was always a good one to have with me. He kept me sane.

_Alright then, that's settled. Paul and I will stay around Forks. Jared, if you wouldn't mind covering La Push… _Jared nodded. Usually it would be Jared running with Sam, but in cases like this, Sam wanted to keep an eye on Paul—specifically, Paul's temper. I tried not to think about that—I couldn't really blame Paul for getting angry where the leeches were concerned.

_Alright, let's go_. Sam looked at me and Embry. _You two be careful. No unnecessary risks._ I knew that last part was directed at me. The older three wolves turned and bounded off through the trees.

Embry glanced at me. _Looks like just you and me._

We found a spot to lay down near some shrubbery—it would provide cover and a good place to keep an eye out for the vampire.

I wonder what Bella was doing here, Embry mused. I wondered the same thing. The vampire smell was definitely Cullen's. Why on Earth would he take her out here in the middle of nowhere? It was profoundly stupid. He could have killed her, and no one would be any the wiser. I pictured Bella here, lying dead on the grass, and I growled.

_Easy, Jake. _

I took a deep breath in to control myself. Embry was right.

We sat in silence for awhile, just keeping an eye out for any movement. The others weren't having any luck, either; they had looped around the same spots numerous times, making sure to cover every area. The pouring rain didn't bother us, although it was annoying. The others could have tried to follow the scent, but the rain helped to dilute it. Besides, no one really wanted to leave the immediate area—too much could happen if we left for even one second.

It was starting to get dark out. I sighed. _Come on already_. Embry chuckled.

I heard Sam's voice in my head_. I don't think we'll catch the leech tonight—it's been hours_. I didn't like the tone of defeat in his voice. I wanted to stay.

Sam caught on to this. _We'll continue the search tomorrow_.

I sighed. At least Bella was still waiting for me at home. I would probably stay near her house tonight, just in case.

_Alright_, I sighed again. Embry and I got up, shaking the wetness from our fur. Ugh. We started running back through the trees, heading toward La Push again. We made it there quickly.

We phased out in the woods, so people wouldn't see our phasing or our lack of clothing. I grumbled the whole way; not catching that vampire really pissed me off. My brothers felt the same way. We trudged through the rain back to Emily and Sam's house, and I felt better when I smelled Bella's lavender shampoo. I couldn't help but grin.

Emily and Bella were both in the kitchen. This can only be a good thing. It looked like spaghetti and meatballs—enough to fill either a whole football team, or the five of us werewolves—with garlic bread. I could hear my brother's groans of delight. I was right there with them.

Sam kissed Emily hello and sat down at the table. Bella looked up at me and smiled, then slipped her arms around my waist. I tried to ignore what that did to me.

"Missed you," she murmured. "I'm glad you're okay," She said.

"Pft. Of course I'm okay." I rolled my eyes teasingly. She smacked me on the arm.

"Did you catch whoever it was?" she asked. I shook my head. I'm sure my irritation showed on my face.

"Don't worry about it," she told me. She was worried, though—I could tell by the look on her face and the way she worried her lip. I was determined to not make her worry about it, at least not tonight. I smiled at her.

"I'm not worried," I half-lied to her. It was mostly true; I wasn't worried for myself. She nodded, seeming pacified with my response.

"Now sit," she instructed, turning back to the counter o continue putting spaghetti in a huge bowl.

I grabbed a spot at the table next to Embry, who was visibly salivating. The girls set the spaghetti on the table, as well as about three dozen breadsticks. We dug in immediately. Bella took the other seat next to me, and Emily say down in the next seat.

"What is it with men and food?" I heard Emily mutter to Bella. Bella shook her head, smiling.

"It's a little endearing, actually," I heard her reply.

I grinned up at her and made a show of slurping it. Bella rolled her eyes.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, and keep 'em comin'! For those of you who may have missed it last chapter, I also have a Twilight fansite that we've just started—mostly a forum kind of site. .com/penombrapersempre/index/ Thank you in advance if you decide to take a look! Next chapter should be up soon—I'm trying to wrap this story up, but I really love writing it ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the characters (Jacob in particular) but sadly, I don't. Just using them for fun.

A/N: It has been SO LONG since I have updated this—thank you for those of you who have left reviews (and some of you have messaged me going, "What is TAKING you so long?" To those folks, I dedicate this fanfiction. ) This is the last chapter. I'm not entirely pleased with the ending—I think it was a bit rushed at the end there—but I'm glad to have finished it. Thank you so much—please review!

I drove Bella home and then went out to patrol the woods for a few hours, having promised that I would come back to check on Bella after Charlie went to sleep. Paul agreed to stay at Bella's house to keep an eye on things while I was out making up for my earlier mistake.

I wandered the forest, looking for any signs of another vampire. This place is a bloodsucker magnet. I caught a few scents of a vamp, but they were all older—the leech had already passed through here a day or two ago. I inwardly sighed. _This sucks._

After about four hours of wandering around in the woods fruitlessly, I turned back and started running back to Forks, taking a route through the thick trees to get to Bella's house. I entered her yard from the side and looked at the windows of the house. They were all off except the table lamp in Bella's room. I listened and confirmed that Charlie was asleep. I was surprised Bella could sleep with the snoring down the hall. The rest of the pack could probably hear him snoring all the way in La Push.

I climbed into her window easily and was surprised to see that she was still awake. I sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey," she said softly. "Everything alright?"

I nodded. "We got the scent of another vampire, but haven't had any luck finding it yet. Don't worry," I added hastily, seeing the look on her face. "I'm sure it's fine. It might not have anything to do with you." I inwardly agreed with the skeptical look on her face. She had a habit of attracting supernatural beings.

I sighed and scooted up next to her on the bed. She moved over as far as the tiny bed would allow, making room for me. I slid my arm under her head and she snuggled into my chest. I smiled; she was adorable.

"Jacob?"

"Hm?" I asked absentmindedly, stroking her arm with my thumb.

"I've been giving a lot of thought to what you said. About us."

She had my attention. I looked at her, trying not to let her see that I was worried about the conclusion she came to regarding a relationship with me. She sat up a little, looking at me a bit shyly.

"I think we could… give it a try."

Elated, I leaned over and kissed her before I could think about what I was doing. Kissing her was exquisite; her lips were soft, and she tasted like strawberries. She didn't move at first, shocked by what I was doing, but after a second she was kissing me back, moving her lips with mine. I cupped her cheek in one hand, marveling at the softness of her skin.

I broke the kiss after a few moments, almost sheepish about my abrupt move. I could see her blushing even in the dark with my human eyes.

"Um. Wow," she whispered. I could see her blush even in the darkness.

I grinned, elated. "Thank you, Bella. I know this is hard for you… but I won't let anything hurt you." I looked down at her. "Promise." I meant it with every fiber of my being.

She smiled at me, a smile that I swear lit a fire in my soul. "I know."

We sat there in silence for a few moments. She scooted down so she could lay her head back down on my chest and closed her eyes, obviously tired now. Knowing Bella, she probably stayed awake all night waiting for me so she could tell me that. I absentmindedly stroked her hair. I don't know how I had gotten so lucky, to imprint on her and have her actually want me back. I wasn't sure she loved me yet—it was too soon, and I knew she needed time before it went that far—but it was something. I was grateful for what I had.

She ended up falling asleep just a few minutes later. About half an hour after that, the talking started. I grinned when she mumbled my name in her sleep. I held her like that for a few hours, pleased when she showed no signs of bad dreams.

I left again when the sun came up before Charlie could find out I was there; he liked me, but I didn't think he liked me so much he wouldn't try to shoot me if he found out I was in his daughter's bed in the wee hours of the morning, regardless of the innocence in the act. I phased in the woods and raced home to change my clothes. I could hear the guys in the woods, divided up into pairs a few miles away from each other. They caught the tone of my thoughts immediately.

_Alright!_ Paul exclaimed.

_You sound surprised, I commented dryly._

_Well, she seems like a smart girl. I was wondering if she was going to come to her senses and send you packing._ The rest of the guys laughed with him. _Seriously, man, congratulations._

_It's not really a serious thing yet. She said we'd give it a try. _

_She just needs time_, Embry chimed in. I think Embry understood her best out of the rest of the guys, and I valued his opinion on the subject. _She's still not completely over him. But she's already come such a long way just in the time you guys have been hanging out together_. He chuckled mentally_. Just invite me to the wedding, will ya?_

My heart jumped a little at the thought that Bella might eventually marry me. It was a nice thought that sometime down the road maybe she could care for me that much.

_I searched the woods this morning, but no sign of the bloodsucker_, I added.

_We think it split town. Scent goes south. It's out of our area, anyway. We think it gave up_.

That was some good news. One less thing trying to kill Bella. What **was** it with that girl that made supernatural stuff come flocking to her? I put it out of my mind; it didn't matter now, so long as Bella was safe.

Billy wasn't at all surprised when I wasn't staying; he shook his head and laughed at me. I thought I heard him mutter the word "whipped" under his breath, but I really didn't care.

I got back to Bella's house and heard her and Charlie in the kitchen as I walked up the steps. I hesitated. Okay, I was eavesdropping. Sue me.

"…you guys going to make it official already?" Charlie was saying. "The boy already spends the majority of his waking hours here anyway."

"Actually, I think it's an official thing now. Not that it's any of your business," Bella added.

Charlie was silent for a moment. "About time," he finally said. "He's a good kid." Charlie seemed to have the common sense not to mention that he liked me more than he liked Edward. Bella still didn't like hearing his name.

I grinned. We were "official." I liked that.

"I agree," Bella said softly. "I really like him." She quieted and I could hear the sound of dishes being rattled around.

` I think my heart just about beat through my chest. This was more than I could have ever hoped for. The girl of dreams cared about me. And was readily admitting it to Charlie. Grinning, I knocked lightly and opened the front door to see my girl.


End file.
